


Come What May

by givupdafunk



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fingering, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, High School Christmas Concert, Romantic Gestures, Roy Orbison Blue Bayou, Secret Santa, Smuff, choir, nancy can sing, quickie sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 08:22:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/givupdafunk/pseuds/givupdafunk
Summary: HO HO HO, Happy Secret Santa Gift for Jancys-Blue-Bayou!'Tis the season for end of semester school recitals and Nancy really wants Jonathan, Joyce and Will to come to her choir concert with her family. I





	Come What May

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jancys_Blue_Bayou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jancys_Blue_Bayou/gifts).



 

A sprinkle of fresh snow dusts the parking lot of the Hawkins community auditorium. Joyce, Will and Jonathan are running a little late, but they find a spot to park with time to spare.

“Karen said she’d save us seats so it’ll be fine.” Joyce says as they make their way carefully up the icy sidewalk. The night feels like your typical Indiana winter night the week before Christmas break. It’s cold enough where everyone’s breath shows in white misty clouds, but it’s not Sweden Sub-Zero Cold or anything.

“Nancy will be happy to see you both. Thanks for coming.”

“Oh I wanted to come,” his mother responds. “You know I love Nancy. Plus, I didn’t even know she sang. This will be fun. Do you know what she’s singing?”

“The group stuff is gonna be mostly Christmas songs. She’s been secretive about her solo.” There’s a cool breeze as he grabs the door and holds it open for Joyce and Will.

It takes them a minute to find The Wheelers sitting towards the back saving 3 seats on the aisle. Jonathan waves hello to them as Joyce heads in first to sit next to Holly and Karen and Ted, Mike gives up his seat to Joyce so he can sit next to Will and Jonathan. He’s glad to have an aisle seat.

The auditorium is decorated with garlands and poinsettias with a banner reading “Welcome Family & Friends to the Hawkins High School Annual Christmas Choir Concert”. A couple of lit Christmas Trees flank either side of the stage, stood in a pile of fluffy cotton material, meant to resemble snow. String lights are hung around the auditorium and across the front of the stage; It's funny how Christmas lights mean something a little different than they did before.

He’s been listening to Mike and Will’s lively recounting of the D&D campaign they played last weekend, when the lights flash and then dim. There's a smattering of applause, as a woman in a festive red and green dress and long dark hair steps into the lone spotlight on the stage.

She's Miss Torres, the choir teacher that Nancy likes, the same teacher she's had for 3 years now. She's told him about her. He'd always known Nancy was in choir, watching her sing in rows of other students at the student assemblies they all had to go to. He'd catch himself staring at her a little too long. He's heard her sing along quietly in the car so he knows she has a pretty voice, but that's the most she's let him hear her sing.

When the curtains pull back, the students are already standing in place on the bleacher style risers; an older lady with white hair and a sparkly dress sits at a piano nearby. Miss Torres walks to the stand in the center and lifts her baton to begin the show.

Scanning the group of students all standing in uniform white shirts and black pants or skirts, he finally sees that familiar bob of brown, wavy hair framing Nancy's sweet face, half way up and to the left. She looks especially petite in the crowd of girls around her, but as usual, she's all he can see.

They launch into medley after medley of Christmas favorites and the group sounds great, a couple of rough spots, but mostly it's smooth sailing through all of the typical Christmas songs: White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Let It Snow, Sleigh Ride. In the dim light he looks around for the first time. A few parents have cameras and video recorders and are trying to get good shots of their kids. He thinks he recognizes a few faces from around town, but isn't sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

A recurring glint of red and green paper in several hands catches his eye. Just about everyone has either a green or red, half folded piece of paper -- probably a program.

A program. Oh, they must've missed picking them up in the lobby because they were rushing. He glances down the aisle and sees the green paper on Mike's lap. He's folded it into a triangle and it's about to drop on to the floor.

A bouncy rendition of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer comes to an end and the crowd begins to clap. Jonathan makes his move.

"Hey, Mike, can I see your program for a sec?"

"Yah, here."

Jonathan unfolds the paper blindly scanning past everything else until he finds the name he's looking for. There it is, next to a candy cane clip art.

_"Blue Bayou", solo by Nancy Wheeler, Junior_

He gets goose bumps. She'd picked this song for a reason. He knows it.

They’d listened to a lot of music at Murray’s while they worked. Murray had explained that Linda Ronstadt’s popular version from not long go was actually a Roy Orbison remake. After he played the original for them, they’d all agreed that Roy’s was more passionate, more tender, more... haunting.

Admittedly, it wasn't the type of song he usually liked, but it would forever remind him of Nancy and that night, and the next night at the cabin, when she had held him and kept him from falling off the edge of the earth into terror. It had played in his mind in the days after those nights, the types of transformative moments you can't deny, encouraging him to call her this time, to call first, as he’d kissed first, to surrender to happiness, to never make her wait again. He'd been lonely for her long enough.

And the first time he really hears her sing, it will be this song.

Before he hands the program back to Mike, he makes note of the song playing before so he can be ready. Someone named Brad George will sing "Beauty School Drop Out" from Grease, then Nancy, then the show ends with a "Hallelujah Chorus Medley" whatever that means.

She picked this song. He might have a small, ridiculous smile on his face. He's glad it's dark in here.

When Brad is half way through his campy version of the Grease song, Jonathan starts to get antsy, but the song is short and before he knows it, Nancy is making her way out of the sea of white shirts down to the microphone set up next to the choir teacher's stand.

He recognizes her gentle frame under the simple buttoned up white long sleeve shirt. Her black knee length skirt shows off her pretty legs, and she has red shoes. His little rebel girlfriend is the only one wearing red shoes. It's impossible to wipe the smile from his face, she's so daring and darling. He wishes he had his camera.

The piano gives the starting note, and Miss Torres starts the song quickly with a drop of her baton. The choir hums soft, thumping harmonies in the background. After a few bars, she opens her mouth and softly starts the song.

 _I feel so bad I’ve got a worried mind_  
_I’m so lonesome all the time_  
_Since I left my baby behind on Blue Bayou_

 _Saving nickels, saving dimes_  
_Working ‘till the sun don’t shine_  
_Looking forward to happier times_  
_On Blue Bayou_

Her voice is so gentle and rich down in this low part of the song. She stands so strong and powerful on the stage, he's unsure if she's feeling confident or nervous.

He turns his head to look down the aisle and catches his mom's eye. She pulls the corners of her mouth down, nodding deliberately, eyes wide and raising her eyebrows in a gesture that says 'hey, this is pretty good!' He smiles, lightly mirroring the gesture, agreeing shyly. Nancy is amazing.

The choir hums a beautiful swaying background, the lower voices keeping rhythm, while the higher voices mix soft, angelic choruses, hauntingly romantic as she hits the chorus powerfully.

 _I’m goin' back some day_  
_Come what may to Blue Bayou_  
_Where you sleep all day_  
_And the catfish play on Blue Bayou_

He has to smile when he realizes that she's doing the Roy Orbison treatment of the line, turning down the final syllable of 'Blue Bayou'. All of the lyrics have strong memories for him. Perhaps it's because he knows her so well, but she clearly captures and conveys with her voice all of the sadness and longing, the layers of emotions he loves about the song. Their song.

 _All those fishing boats_  
_With their sails afloat_  
_If I could only see_  
_That familiar sunrise_  
_Through sleepy eyes_  
_How happy I’d be_

Her arms begin to sway along with her hips as she relaxes into the song, performing, enchanting the audience. A few heads are swaying to the music. She's bringing all of the things he loves about this song to life.

 _Oh, to see my baby again_  
_And to be with some of my friends_  
_Maybe I’d be happy then on Blue Bayou_

 _I’m goin' back some day_  
_Gonna stay on Blue Bayou_  
_Where the folks are... mine_  
_And the... world is mine_  
_On Blue Bayou_

She accidentally muddles the lyrics a little bit, but recovers quickly. He's probably the only one that noticed.

 _Ah, that boy of mine by my side_  
_The silver moon and the evening tide_  
_Oh, some sweet day gonna take away_  
_This hurtin’ inside_

He's never loved this song more than he does right now. His body is tingling, he can't catch his breath.

 _I’ll never be blue_  
_My dreams come true..._

She places a subtle kiss to her palm, her left palm, her scarred palm, and raises her hand, slow and dreamy, as she emotionally sings the final words, her vibrato sweet with passion.

_...on Blue Bayou_

She hits the final high note with fading softness, the symbolic kiss may be lost on most, but it’s not lost on Jonathan. He sighs heavy as a small line of tears rim the bottoms of his eyes. Hearts were designed to feel love like this.

"Wow, she's good." Will whispers to his big brother.

"Yah, yah, she's..." the song ends and everyone claps, saving him from finding the right adjective and probably crying. "She's good," he finally gets out, blinking back his tears. He glances at his mom, clapping and smiling proudly at Nancy, and turning to beam at him. Karen is trying to snap a picture, while Nancy takes a small bow, shares a smile with Miss Torres, and heads back up into the choir.

"Mike, your sister is cool."

"Pffft, she's alright. I'm so sick of hearing her play this song though. Maybe now that this is over she'll stop. I have to share a wall with her."

Jonathan smiles, choosing not to burst his bubble that her stopping now probably won't be the case.

He's floating high on emotion through the triumphant final number. Everyone stands when it's over, clapping while the choir bows and Miss Torres steps to the mic to thank everyone for coming and supporting music education in Hawkins.

As the curtain drops, the din of a crowd of people fills the room. Mike and Will head up the aisle in front of him and Joyce catches up to him.

"That was fun! Did you know she could sing like that?" she says.

"I knew she could sing, because she sings in the car, but I didn't know she could do that, no."

"Nice song, too."

"Yah... Roy Orbison."

"It's not Linda Ronstadt?"

"No, mom, he wrote it and did it first."

"Oh, ok, well I won't argue with the music expert. I just thought it sounded familiar."

When they make it to a clearing in the lobby, Karen comes over to give him and Joyce a hug, while Holly falls against his leg with a thud, they way she always does. Karen's so happy to have them here. "I bet you didn't know she could sing like that did you?"

"No," he blushes with a small sideways smile, "I didn't."

"I was blown away!" Joyce adds.

Holly grabs his hand. "Spin me," she demands. It's a new game they'd started. He obliges, letting her twirl in circles hanging on to his finger.

"Don't tell her I told you, but she was nervous that you'd be here."

"Well, she shouldn't be. She's so... talented." Holly spins and giggles.

"She sure is." Joyce chimes in.

"She really is." Karen is a proud mom. "There's nothing she can't do. You'll have to come to the ballet recital, too."

Ted comes up to shake his hand. "Hey, how ya doin'? Karen, Mike says we are going for dessert now."

"Yah, I told the kids we could go get cake at the diner after." She turns to Joyce. "You are all welcome to join, of course."

"Cake!" Holly parrots, making Jonathan smile at her.

"Do you like cake?" Jonathan asks the little one, as she swings his arm with hers.

"Yah! Chocolate cake!" he chuckles, looking up to see Nancy coming towards them, a thin pressed smile and bright eyes trained demurely on him.

"Heeeyyy... " Nancy says as she joins the group.

"Good job!" Will says. "Your voice is so pretty!"

"Aw, thank you." They all let her know she did great, particularly Joyce who is her newest fan, and a few strangers that recognize her and stop to say they enjoyed it. He can tell that it's hard for her to hear so much praise but she handles it very gracefully. When she inches her way over to stand with Jonathan he puts a hand softly on her back, reassuring and comforting her, the way he just knows how.

"Nancy, we're getting cake now!" Holly chimes in.

"Cool! But hey... um... would anyone mind if I just stole Jonathan away for a quick minute? I have to get my stuff backstage, and I want him to meet someone. We'll be right back and then we can go. Is that cool?"

"Yah, sure. We're going to wait over by the front door for you."

"Ok," she grabs his arm and starts pulling him away, glancing back. "See ya soon!"

"Who am I meeting?" she's not answering, just walking fast and upstream through the crowd of people leaving in the other direction, holding his hand. When they finally break through a pair of doors marked MAINTENANCE in red, he gets confused. "Wait, am I in trouble or something?"

"No, no..."

"Honey, you were so amazing tonight, my god..." she's walking him down a narrow corridor lined with carts.

They turn down a deserted cinderblock hallway that dead-ends into an exit. She releases his hand and turns to face him. She's looking at him the way she looked at him across the breakfast table at Murray's, when their sock feet surreptitiously met and played under the table.

"Nance...?"

She pounces, pushing him back up against the wall kissing him hard. He pulls her in tight, pulling her body up on to his, a firm grip on her round ass. "Damn!! Why am I so turned on right now?" She gasps. All of her nervous energy from the performance is coming out onto his lips and he couldn't be happier to help. He untucks her shirt and slides his hand up and underneath her bra. They both benefit from the feel of his strong, warm hands titillating her breasts.

"You were so good, baby. So beautiful. That song..." her kisses just got stronger, her hands rake through his hair, grinding against him like a spring set free.

"Oh you think that was good? I wish we had more time. I'd destroy you." Each phrase is said in between firm sucking kisses and hot gazes. They are giggling as if it's a joke, but she probably really would destroy him.

Pushing off the wall, he spins her around and puts her firmly back against the block wall, her eyes afire as he pushes up her skirt. She leans back, hiking up her skirt to give him full access and spreads her legs. He pushes her panties to the side. She's sopping wet and looks up at him wildly smirking. His touch is light, only making her want more, his eyes darken, driven.

"Hmm, if this is who you wanted me to meet, I hate to tell ya, but we've met before."

"Yes, you certainly have..." she purrs. He works his hand into her panties, she's already so hot, her pussy lips swollen and tight, and starts to work her wet clit, pushing fingers inside her, kissing her open mouth; her eyes are shut in pleasure, tipped back against the wall, her body swayed and tensing.

A soft satisfied whimper escapes her while sliding her hand down the side of his body, slow, soft squeezes, matching slow soft kisses, wet tongues, wet fingers. She's already so worked up that it doesn't take long. "Jona... than... na... jon... athan... JonaTHAN..."

"It's ok, come for me..." her eyebrows lift over closed lids. She's close. Her clit purrs beneath his touch.

"Oh my god Jonathan I'mGonnaComeSoHard.... ohmygodohmygodJohanthanFuckkk...." she tried to keep that as quiet as possible and most of it was shouted directly into his mouth that's always close by for kisses, but if there is anyone in this hallway other than them, they had to have heard that. Her legs shake as her body convulses against his hand sending waves of pleasure. She steadies herself by grabbing his firm thigh.

"Shhh..." He gently pets her wet, quivering pussy... "shhhh..." she drops her heavy head on his shoulder. "Better?" He's got an arm around her, a warm hand on her ass.

Her kisses are calmer, gentler, happy. "mmm... hi...”

“Hiiii” he chuckles.

“Sorry to attack you like that, your turn?" she offers dreamily.

"No, later, let's get back. You needed that. I'll be fine. Later." He's been finger combing his hair back into place and she helps him with a few strays.

"Gosh, I did. So bad. Thank you, lover. Wow, why am I like that?" she's readjusting her skirt and bra, and retucking her shirt.

"I dunno maybe you have a thing for being naughty at school functions. Remember before The Snow Ball last week? What luck that someone left that classroom open..." he's whispering in her ear before kissing her cheek.

"I know, you messed up my hair so bad I had to pin it up before going back out." she rolls her head to the side so he can kiss her neck.

"Turned out cute though."

"Oh, totally worth it."

"It didn't survive after The Snow Ball though, did it." He slides her into his arms, warm and close.

"Hmmmm... nope." They can barely look at one another from the recent hot memory. "Ok, don't do that." She teases and playfully steps back.

"What?"

"Get me all wound up again when my parents are waiting for us."

"Me? Is that what I did? I thought that was you." His eyes fire seductively, his hand gently rubs and pats the curve of her ass. "You're naughty. Santa's gonna bring you coal."

"Oh, I'm naughty?"

"Yah, well, ya know," he leans in close. "It takes one to know one." His breath is a warning on her ear lobe. Something tells her they will continue this later. She can't wait. But first there are people waiting for them.

She snickers over her shoulder mischievously, as she starts to walk back to the door they came through. "Come on, ya flirt, I gotta get my coat."

"We do gotta hurry. Your sister is gonna get crazy if she doesn't get her cake soon."

In the greenroom, Nancy gets a chance to introduce him quickly to Miss Torres, who is very nice and gushes over Nancy, but they don't keep her since they know she's got many parents to talk to.

Standing backstage, he helps her put on her coat after she's changed her pretty red shoes, for more sensible boots. They decide to head out a side door and walk around the building to meet everyone up front.

It's cold and quiet, except for their shoes crunching through snow; their breath escapes in gentle white clouds.

"So did ya see what happened? I goofed the lyrics." Her nose wrinkles, dissatisfied.

"Ah, it wasn't that bad, barely noticeable. You stayed calm and recovered pretty quickly. You were the best one all night, anyone would say that, really outstanding. Of course, my favorite part was the ending."

"Gawwd, I just, out of the blue, couldn't remember what came next, I felt so stupid all of a sudden and embarrassed and eventually it passed, but for a minute there, all I could think was 'oh no, oh no, oh no' and time got wonky. It was awful."

"Yah, I get it. It's a lot of pressure and attention, but, Nance, you did great. Seriously. A tiny little hiccup that no one cares about because the rest was so great. You really were the best... of course, I'm biased..." he tries to get her to laugh.

"It just wasn't exactly what I wanted. Feels like it wasn't perfect. I wanted it to be perfect."

He stops suddenly, tapping her arm to stop her and face him. "Look, I get you're disappointed. It's ok to feel that, but please don't lose sight of how good, no, great, it was. It was fantastic. I loved it. Everyone did." Her lips purse in a way he knows she's still not buying it, as she stares bullets into the ground. "Perfect doesn't always mean Best, Nance. Cut yourself some slack." Stepping closer to her, she feels his warmth, he rubs gentle hands down her shoulders. "Do you know how amazing you are? Do you? Do you know how... much... more... _more..._ I fell in love with you tonight?" She looks up at him. "Baby, you sang our song... _our song_... so beautifully... you brought tears to my eyes... I had goosebumps the whole time." She's silent. Contemplative. He has her complete attention. "I don't care what you say or do, you're the fucking coolest, Nancy Wheeler."

My god, she loves this dork, and she can't help reveal a growing slim smile. "You liked the ending?"

"You know I did. How could I not."

"I'm glad you liked it. It was important that you liked it." That demure look is back.

He leans in to give her a kiss on her cold nose then lips, lingering on the second. "I loved it. I'm so proud of you." Their hearts are full.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Let's go get dessert."

They walk off arm in arm, him beaming at her. Her, just beaming.

"I wish I'd had my camera so I could've showed you how great you looked, baby. I'm sorry to have to tell you that if you're going to walk around being that amazing, you should probably get used to having your picture taken. By me."

"Oh boy, really?"

"Yah, Why not? You're a natural at it plus I sometimes do actually need models for class work. My mom and Will need a break. What do ya say? You're not the only aspiring artist in Hawkins, ya know. Help me out." he teases.

"I suppose it's going to be unavoidable for me." she pretends to relent. "You do take nice pictures, ya know."

"Who, me?" his turn to blush.

"Yah, you." she bumps his elbow. "I didn't realize that cameras could do all of that. My mom's pictures always turn out pretty bad."

"Well, I promise, NOT that it will be hard to do," he emphatically exaggerates "that you'll look beautiful in all of them, ok?"

"OK. Does this mean you might want to come to my ballet thing this weekend?"

"Absolutely."

It starts to snow. Their faces light up. They are standing in a snowy parking lot, lit by an industrial street lamp, but it feels magical. They are their own happy place, forever in Blue Bayou.

She lifts his scarred palm to her lips and looks him in the eye. Already lifting hers to his lips they share a nice moment of soft, warm lips on chilly, tender palms, of loving looks and soft sighs, before turning their palms against each other, her hands looking small measured against his. Tipping their hands slightly, their fingers separate and then interlace together, slowly curling together. They step closer together as their clenched hands lower to their sides.

She leans forward and places a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas."

 

  
******************

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I did your favorite Jancy song justice, jbb! This was cute to write as I love thinking of all of the things the families will now do together. Also, was not supposed to be smutty, but I saw an opportunity and I took it. Hope that's ok!


End file.
